Reporting Palestinian Death Tolls: A Math Question
Can someone explain this to me? A New York Times article from yesterday said:
The death toll in Gaza reached around 640 on Tuesday, according to Palestinian health officials. The United Nations has estimated that about one-fourth of those killed were civilians, though there have been no reliable and current figures in recent days.
An L.A. Times article from today says:
It was the first letup in an Israeli assault that has killed about 700 Palestinians, of whom the United Nations says more than 400 are civilians.
Is 400/700 anything like one-fourth?
I’m no math whiz, but I’m thinking the answer is “no.”
So what gives?
P.S. In reporting these death tolls, does the media include the dozens of Palestinians executed by Hamas as suspected collaborators? I suspect they do. Is anyone besides Power Line asking?
Because, if the death tolls include those executed by Hamas, then it’s not the “Israeli assault” that killed them. I mean, that’s sort of obvious . . . but Big Media doesn’t seem to understand it, regardless.
well, we already knew the UN is a bunch of idiots, so, i guess this i just a confirmation? Or did the liberal idiots just get it wrong in their reporting? Either way, IDIOTS!!!!
Comment by slizzle — 1/7/2009 @ 10:08 pm
I’m a liberal arts grad but even I know this math doesn’t work. It must be Diplomatic UN Math, also known as DUM.
Comment by DRJ — 1/7/2009 @ 10:21 pm
How many angels can you fit on the top of a pin?
Comment by Da'Shiznit — 1/7/2009 @ 10:25 pm
According to this UN press release from today, “some 40 per cent of the casualties [are] civilians.”
Apparently the UN just makes up statistics depending on what day of the week it is.
Comment by aunursa — 1/7/2009 @ 10:33 pm
Different U.N. sources?
Comment by daleyrocks — 1/7/2009 @ 10:36 pm
This is a tree-falling-in-the-woods (or, if you will, a million-dead-Iraqis) situation. Until there is independent verification of 400 dead Palestinian civilians, there are NOT 400 dead Palestinian civilians.
Comment by Icy Texan — 1/7/2009 @ 10:37 pm
“40 percent” — “400″. Hey! What do you expect from the liberal media, ACCURACY? or “equality” & “fairness”?
Comment by Icy Texan — 1/7/2009 @ 10:40 pm
my guess… anyone in a hospital that isnt in a uniform or chanting “death to Israel” is a civilian.
at least that is how the media thinks.
Comment by chris — 1/8/2009 @ 12:58 am
Let’s see here, 25% of 640 dead were civilians one day. The next day, only civilians died, making it 40% of 700, which is close enough to 400, since 700 is close enough to 1000 and 40% of 1000 is 400. It makes perfect sense to me.
Besides, modern math problems consist of:
Since 40% of 700 is 400, how does that make you feel?
Comment by John Hitchcock — 1/8/2009 @ 2:37 am
If someone — George Bush, Ehud Barak, Barack Hussein Obama, just someone — said, “If you brave Islamic jihadists would quit hiding behind the skirts of your women, your women wouldn’t get killed,” maybe the point would be made.
Comment by The cold-hearted Dana — 1/8/2009 @ 3:14 am
Is an Islamic woman who blows herself up in front of a hotel a militant or a civilian? And does her death count in the death toll for which Israel is responsible?
Comment by John Hitchcock — 1/8/2009 @ 3:21 am
Mr Hitchcock: yes. Israel is responsible for any and all Palestinian deaths, period. Please make a note of it.
Comment by The realistic Dana — 1/8/2009 @ 3:54 am
Yes. Yes, they are. You saw what they did to me, right?
Comment by Yasser Arafat — 1/8/2009 @ 5:16 am
If someone — George Bush, Ehud Barak, Barack Hussein Obama, just someone — said, “If you brave Islamic jihadists would quit hiding behind the skirts of your women, your women wouldn’t get killed,” maybe the point would be made.
Comment by The cold-hearted Dana — 1/8/2009 @ 3:14 am
Spot on, Dana. How come the death toll in Israel is still under ten while Palestinians are almost in the seven hundreds? The Israelis take care of their people during war times and Paletinians throw theirs in the line of fire. Another reason why they should be stamped out!
Comment by love2008 who will now be known as Emperor7 — 1/8/2009 @ 7:26 am
Personally, I just ignore the casualty stats. The MSM just Monicas any number handed them by Hamas or a UN front flunky for Hamas. Either way, they are bogus, unprovable numbers.
Hamas can’t even be honest who is a Jihadist and who is an uninvolved civilian.
Comment by PCD — 1/8/2009 @ 9:19 am
Ironically the terrorist Palestinians only shoot rockets at and attack Israeli non combatant civilians being the brave jihadist for Allah that they are and the liberal news media is silent until Israel attacks the terrorists who are using babies as cover.
And of course these terrorist loving newspapers cant seem to figure why they are going belly up, who will tell them?
Comment by ML — 1/8/2009 @ 11:36 am
You should be more tolerant of UN numbers. After all, they are busy counting the take from their oil-for-food bribery investments.
Comment by Bleepless — 1/8/2009 @ 6:18 pm